Trump Backs Hegseth as Democrats Vow Pentagon Probes; Project Meridian Panel Sued

The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia (file photo). Photo: David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

President Trump said Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will stay in his job, even as Democrats who won control of Congress promised to investigate the Pentagon’s conduct of the roughly eight-month Iran war, ABC News reported. The week’s other U.S. military news included a federal lawsuit over a Pentagon advisory panel and new limited U.S. strikes in Iran.

Hegseth’s job and the new Congress

Asked whether he would replace Hegseth, Trump said the secretary was doing a very good job, according to ABC News. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth intends to lead the department through the end of Trump’s term. In ABC News Voter Poll data, 34% of House voters said the Iran war was crucial to their vote, compared with 49% who cited the cost of living.

A single unnamed source told CBS News that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was being floated as a possible replacement who could be confirmed during the lame-duck session, WKMG reported, carrying the CBS story. Other sources said Trump had not decided to make a change, and White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the president “has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”

Pressure is coming from both parties. Incoming House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith, D-Wash., pledged to investigate the Iran war and the removal of senior military officers, USA Today reported. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he would move to impeach Hegseth when Congress returns next week, arguing the war lacks congressional approval. For the session ahead, see our new lame-duck explainer and the Congress Tracker, and find more military news on our hub.

Strikes and warnings in the Iran war

Trump confirmed U.S. strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, which he called a minor attack on a newly built anti-aircraft site, Gulf News reported. He told Fox News the U.S. may need “to do something large,” including a possible heavy hit, though Gulf News said he later ruled out immediate strikes.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said tankers struck naval mines south of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran destroyed a U.S. MQ-1 drone over Qeshm, claims that could not be independently verified (more in today’s war news roundup). U.S. officials told Axios the military is finishing preparations for possible major combat but stressed no order had been given, according to Gulf News. Reports also cited a Patriot battery being sent from Texas, which the U.S. has not confirmed as part of any attack plan. Our Iran War Tracker and Military Deployments Tracker follow these moves.

Lawsuit targets Project Meridian panel

Three watchdog groups, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight, sued Hegseth and Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael in federal court in Washington over Project Meridian, Federal News Network reported. Hegseth announced the future-warfare panel on Sept. 30; it is led by Newt Gingrich, Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey and run by the nonprofit MITRE.

The groups allege violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, saying the panel met behind closed doors on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 without public notice and lacks conflict-of-interest rules. They note 19 of its 21 members work in the private sector. They ask the court to bar the panel from meeting until it complies. Federal News Network’s report did not include a Pentagon response.

Autonomous warfare command awaits Congress

Hegseth’s planned Autonomous Warfare Command would be a unified command led by a four-star officer to oversee acquisition and integration of autonomous weapons, the Arms Control Association reported. Congress must first authorize it. A Senate Armed Services Committee draft of the 2027 defense bill recommends such authority under a different name, while the House version passed July 22 without it. A column in Armed Forces Press said October 2027 is the target for standing it up and that no commander has been named.

Details reflect reporting through Nov. 5, 2026. Statements about battlefield results from either side in the Iran war are labeled as claims.

Sources

• ABC News: Trump dismisses prospect of replacing Hegseth amid Iran war
• WKMG/CBS News: Trump considers Ron DeSantis to replace Pete Hegseth at Pentagon, CBS News source says
• USA Today via Yahoo News: What’s next for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth as Democrats eye return to power
• Gulf News: Iran warns against war as Trump signals ‘heavy hit’ and tankers catch fire near Hormuz
• Federal News Network: Pentagon sued over its Project Meridian advisory committee
• Arms Control Association: DOD Seeks Autonomous Warfare Command
• Armed Forces Press: The Future of the Pentagon’s New Autonomous Warfare Command